Adjustable support



Nov. 29, 1949 o. H. WOFEORD ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT 2 ShetS-Shet 1 Filed Nov. 1, 1945 'IIIIIIIII'IIIIIIIIIIIIQ "711 Patented Nov. 29, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 11 Claims.

This invention relates to adjustable supports, having particular reference to a support of the general type disclosed in my Patent No. 2,014,176 dated September 10, 1935.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a combined bool; rest and support involving a handle or carrying member capable of performing the functions of assisting in supporting material upon the book rest and serving in another capacity as a handle for convenience in conveying the support.

A'further object of the-invention is to provide an adjustable support associated with and forming a part of a case used for the accommodation of pencils, crayons and other writing or art materials, and wherein the support serves to maintain books or other objects in a properly elevated position as well as to serve as a handle for convenience in carrying the case.

With the foregoing objects in view, together with others which will appear as the'decription' proceeds, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all. as will be described more fully hereinafter, illustrated in the drawing, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a students or scholars material case constructed in accordance with the invention and illustrating the parts in the position they will assume when set up for use -as. a rest;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken through the case with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken through the case and illustrating the latter in closed position and with the support projected therefrom to serve as a carrying handle,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing a means for connecting the book rest with the handle member,

Fig, 5 is a top plan view of the bottom section of the case with the cover removed,

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the underside of the case. cover,

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially upon line 1-1 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 8 is a similar view taken upon line 8-8 of F g. 3.

The invention consists essentially in a case for use by students, sometimes referredto as scholars companion, wherein there is provided a case having a hinged cover, the interior of the case being equipped to accommodate pencils, pens,

latch l5 atone end of the base crayons, brushes, erasers or other materials incident to scholastic work, access to which may be readily had when the cover is opened or raised. The cover is adapted to be opened in hinge-like manner and held in angular position for the accommodation of books, a sketch book, etc., the angularity being accurately determined to suit the sight of the user. The cover is equipped with an extensible member having the same general characteristics as that disclosed in my patent aforesaid, excepting that the book rest in the present instance serves an additional function of limiting the projecting degree of the extensible support when the latter is used as a handle.

More particularly, the case includes a base or bottom member Iii, preferably of rectangular shape and of a length, breadth and depth best suited to the desired use. The interior of the base or bottom may be sub-divided by longitudinal and lateral partitions Hl2 as shown for the convenient storage of writing or drawing implements such as pens, pencils, brushes and the like. The body may he formed of thin metal or of composition material, and it is to be understood that the material plays no part in the inventive idea.

The top or cover for the bottom is represented generally at It and is of the same length and breadth as the bottom, hinged at one end to the latter as at M so as to be capable of tightly closing upon the base as shown.- A suitable catch or may be employed to have its free end engaged in the recess It in the adjacent part of the cover I3 to maintain the case securely in closed position. This catch may be of any preferred style or type as will be understood.

The cover member 53 constitutes, in effect, an easel or support for a book or other article, and in order to adapt its angularity to that best suited to a particular student, a prop H is provided. This. prop resides in a ball or wire bent into sub.- stantially U-shape with its extremities offset and hingedly connected as at l8 within the sides of the body Ill, the bight portion l9 thereof adapted to engage against any one of a series of projections 28 arranged in longitudinal series upon the inner face of the cover member it. The prop is of such dimension as to fold within the bottom member lit when not in use, as shown in the drawings. The stops 2!] may be formed integral with the cover or easel member :3 or may be formed separately and attached thereto as preferred.

The combined extension member and handle includes a tubular bail providing, a bight portion 2| with spaced parallel arms '22. These arms are slidably engaged within the cover l3, and slide within the enlargements 23 constituting sliding bearings. These portions 23 preferably form a part of the cover and are located one at each side thereof near the outer or free end of the cover. The free ends of the members 22 have rotatably engaged therein the inner ends of the support members 24, the opposite ends of which are bent right angularly to provide raised portions 25 with stops 26 at their free ends. The support members 24 may be secured within the tubular arms 22 by extending a pin 2'! through the latter and within a recess 28 in the end of the Wire 24. However, any desired means may be resorted to to hold the wires 26 firmly against longitudinal movement but for free rotation within the tubular arms 22.

The combined lengths of the adjustable supporting member and the supports engaged in the ends of the arms thereof is such that when retracted within the cover the said extension member fits substantially closely therein. When thus retracted and the lid or cover is in closed position, the clasp or latch l may be passed over the bight portion 2! of the support and snapped into the notch it to hold the cover in closed position as well as to hold the handle against being extended. When it is desired to use the support as a handle member, the latter will be withdrawn from the case by a sliding movement, and stops 28' on the inner face of the cover l 3 will limit the outward sliding movement of the handle. Additional stops 29 are arranged within the cover member is to permit the handle being extended further if desired.

In order that the angular extensions 25 of the support members may be utilized as a book or article rest, the longitudinal edges of the cover [3 are provided with spaced notches or recesses 36. Upon the support members 2 5 being rotated in the hollow arms 22, the angular portions 25 may be extended into such of the notches 35 as are best suited to the use of the student, and when engaged in the notches the extensible rest will be locked in position. As the arms 25 of the support members are moved outwardly toward the free end of the cover member, the bight portion 2i will be extended to support the book or other article upon the easel.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that I have provided an adjustable support for scholars cases which is of extremely simple construction, which may be manufactured at comparatively low cost, which has its few simple and readily assembled parts so constructed and associated with one another as to minimize the opportunity for wear, breakage or derangement, and which will prove highly practical and efiicient for the purposes set forth. It will be understood that the interior of the case may or may not be equipped with partitions as shown, and different arrangements of the partitions or the case interior may be resorted to if desired.

I claim:

1. In a book rest, a cover having spaced notches in its edges, a combined handle and support slidable in said cover, arms pivoted to said handle and adapted when in one position to engage in said notches, and stops on said cover to be engaged by said arms when in another position to limit the sliding movement of said handle.

2. In a book rest, a cover having notches in its lateral edges, an extension member slidable on said cover, an arm pivoted to each side of said 4 member, said arms capable of swinging into said notches when projecting forwardly from said cover, and stops on said member to be engaged by said arms when moved to another position to limit the sliding movement of said member.

3. In a book rest, a support having notches in its edges, an extension member slidable upon said support, arms pivoted to said member and movable in one direction into said notches to hold said member against movement upon said support, and means on said support cooperating with said arms when moved to another position to permit limited sliding movement of said member.

4. In a book rest, a support having notches in its edges, an extension member slidable upon said support, arms rotatably carried by said extension member and movable into or out of said notches, and a stop on said support to be engaged by said arms when rotated to one position to hold the extension member and support against relative movement in one direction.

5. In a book rest, a cover member constituting a support having notches in its edges, a handie member of U -shape formation having its arms slidably engaged in said support and movable longitudinally thereof, support members rotatably carried by said arms and adapted to be moved into said notches, and stops on said support to be engaged by said support members when moved to another position to hold the handle and support against movement relative to each other in one direction.

6. A combined case and book rest, comprising a base, a cover hinged at one end to said base, a handle slidable within said cover from the free end thereof and to project beyond the cover when the case is closed, support arms rotatable in said handle, and stops on said cover to be engaged by said arms to limit the sliding movements of said handle.

7. A combined case and book rest, comprising a base, a cover hinged at one end to said base and adapted to overlie the same, a handle slidable within said cover from the free end thereof, support arms rotatable in said handle, stops on said cover to be engaged by said arms to limit the sliding movements of said handle, and means for supporting said cover in angular position with respect to said base.

8. In a book rest, a cover, a member slidable on said cover to extended or retracted positions, arms movably connected to said member, said cover having notches thereon to be engaged by said arms when in one position to hold the member against sliding movement in either direction, and stops on said cover to be engaged by said arms when the latter are moved to another position to limit the extended movement only of said member.

9. In a book rest, a base, a cover hingedly connected to said base, an extension member carried by said cover and slidable thereon beyond the free end of the cover whether the latter be in open or closed position, arms hingedly connected to said member, and stops on said cover to be engaged by said arms when the cover is in closed position to limit the outward sliding movement of said extension member.

10. In a book rest, a base, a cover hingedly connected to said base, an extension member carried by said cover and slidable thereon in the direction of the free end of said cover, cooperating means on said member and said cover for holding the member against sliding movement when the cover is in open position, and cooperating means on said member and said cover to limit the sliding movement of the member when the cover is in closed position.

11. In a book rest, a base, a cover hinged to said base, an extension member carried by said cover and slidable thereon in directions toward or away from the free end of said cover, said cover having notches in the edges thereof, arms rotatably carried by said extension member and movable into said notches to hold said member against sliding movement, stops within said cover, and said stops disposed in the path of said arms when swung inwardly of said cover to limit the sliding movement of said member when the cover is in closed position. I

OLIVE WOFFORD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the tile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

